Clamp



Nov. 2, 1948.

Filed April 14. 1344.

B. A. TETZLAFF I CLAMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fatentecl Nov. 2, 1948 CLAMP Benjamin A. Tetzlaff, Riverside, Ill.; Lillian B. Tetzlafi, Ralph W. Tetzlafi, and Clarence C. Tetzlafi executors of said Benjamin A. Tetzlafi,

deceased Application April 14, 1944, Serial No. 531,061

4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to clamps and has particular reference to an improved clamp adapted for securing a flexible tubular member, such as a hose, to a'tubular member such as a pipe.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a novel hose clamp having a simple, one piece, structurally rigid housing secured to and preferably near one end of a tightening band in such manner that the band together with the housing will more completely circumferentially engage the hose about which it is clamped and which housing together with a band-tightening screw will rigidly retain the band in tightened position about the hose.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel adjustable hose clamp consisting of only three coacting elements.

A further object is to provide a novel housing for the band-tightening screw and which housing is provided with at least one side opening to permit introduction therein of one of the electrodes of spot welding apparatus whereby the housing may readily be spot welded to the clamp band.

Still another object iof my invention is found in a die-stamped housing providing a pair of side openings therein for one of the welding electrodes whereby said housing may be spot welded to the clamp band and thereafter portions of said housing may be bent to close said openings and thereby stiffen the housing structure.

With the above and other objects in View, my invention consists in the novel combination, construction and arrangement of the parts shown in preferred embodiments in the attached drawings, described in the following specifications, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive, I illustrate one embodiment of my invention employing a drawn or cast metal housing while in Figs. 9 to 15 inclusive, I illustrate another embodiment thereof wherein the housing consists of a die-stamping.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a plan view of my improved hose clamp;

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the tightening screw housing taken along the line 3-3 on Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of my improved hose clamp with a view f the tightening screw housing from an opposite direction to that shown in Fi 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-section of my novel clamp, tightening screw and housing therefor;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail section of the tightening screw thread;

Fig. '7 is a horizontal section of the housing taken along the line 7-4 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the housing with the tightening screw removed therefrom;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of my improved hose clamp in which the tightening screw housing is formed from a metal stamping;

Fig, 10 is a side elevation of the screw housing shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a sectional end view taken along the line H-H of Fig. 10 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 12 is a bottom plan view showing the manner of attaching the stamped housing of my novel clamp to the tightening band;

Fig. 13 is a plan view of the stamped housing before it is shaped;

Fig, 14 is a plan view of my novel screw housing with the tightening screw about to be inserted therein; and

Fig. 15 shows an end view of the partially formed housing.

In the drawings like reference characters designate like or similar parts throughout.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral l5 designates a flexible metal band having a plurality of openings or perforations l6 spaced longitudinally in one end of the band I5 and cut therein at such an angle as to cooperate with the thread i'! of the band-tightening thumb screw designated generally by the refer ence numeral 88 and rotatably mounted within the housing which is designated generally by reference numeral 9. The spaced openings or threads it extend from one end of the clamp band I5 a sufficient distance longitudinally of the band so that the band may be employed to clamp hose varying slightly in relative diameters although I prefer to construct each screw housing for a predetermined hose diameter.

The band i 5 is crimped to form a slightly offset seat portion 2% which is slightly arcuate to con-- form to the slightly arcuate base portions 23 and to which housing portions 23 the offset portion 20 of the band is secured as preferably by spot welding 24.

The purposes of I to permit the inner faces IE3 of the band pox.

oflsetting the portion 2U is tions which are adjacent to the offset portion 20, at the opposite ends of the housing I9, to lie substantially in the same arcuate plane of the bottom faces 23 of the housing base portions 23 to thereby provide a more complete or, for all practical purposes, substantially continuous circumferential.engagement of the band I5 and housing I9 about ahose connection.

The unitary housing I9 is preferably made of drawn or cast metal and is formed with two similarly shaped oppositely disposed side wall openings 2I and also with two slot-like end wall openings 22 of sufficient width to receive overlapped portions of the clamp band I5. The side wall openings 2| are of trapezoidal shape to. strengthen the housing and serve to permit introduction therein of one of the electrodes of a spot welding machine by which, atthe points 24, the offset seat portion in the crimped section of the band I5 is spot welded to the oppositely disposed adjacent bottoih portions 23. of the housing I9. The housing I9 is provided in one end wall thereof with an opening which constitutes a bearing for the reduced end 26' of the band-tightening screw I8 while the opposite end wall of the housing has an opening therein which is substantially semicircular-shaped at the top thereof as at 2'! and progressively enlarged downwardly into mergence with the transverse slot 22 and being of sufficient size so that 3 the band-tightening screw I8 may readily be threaded therethrough, it being understood that the thickness of the walls of the housing I9 is such that this may be accomplished.

It will be noted withparticular reference to Fig. 6 that when the clamp band is tightened the leading face 29 of the band-tightening screw thread I! is perpendicular to the turning axis of the tightening screw I8 and that the follower or trailing face is formed relatively angularly to the leading face 29. This facilitates the force imparting engagement of the screw threads I! with the particularly shaped perforations I6 in the band I5. The perpendicular face 29 of the screw thread insures an interlocking. engagement of the screw I8 with the band I5 in any given position of the screw l8. The band-tightening screw- I8 is provided with an enlarged shank portion 3| which abuts with one end of the housing I9 and provides another bearing for the screw. The outer end of the screw I8 is flattened, as at 32, to form a convenient operating handle.

The smaller opposite end of the screw which is supported in the housing bearing portion 25 may.

bepeened if desired to prevent its withdrawal- In operation, the band I5 is placed about the" hose and the perforated end thereof is fed through the slot 22 into the housing until the Lil screw thread I1 is engaged. The thumb screw I8 is then rotated causing the perforated end of the band I5 to move through the housing,

by the driving action of the thread I! until the required degree of tightness is secured. The particular shape of the thread I1 facilitates the feedr ing of the band I5 through the housing and also brings about the locking of the same in position when the turning of the screw I8. ceases. seat- 20 near one end of the band I5 furnishes a support to which the housing base portions 23 are spot welded with the result that the inner surfaces 23% thereof are in substantially the same housing I9 forms a substantially complete-Cir The.

cumferential surface for engagement with the hose.

It will be noted that each of the perforations I 6 is defined by a straight line edge I6 and an arcuate edge I6. The straight edge I6 is engaged by the vertical or perpendicular face 29 of thescrew thread I! whilethe arcuate edge I6 conforms to and very'slightly clears the angular face 30 of the thread II. Smooth and positive forward and reverse movement of the perforated band end within the housing and a stronger perforated band end are secured by the use of the arcuate-edge 16 in each of the perforations. I6.

The preferred design of screw thread I! is 11-- lustrated in Fig; 6; and the dimensions shown in Fig. 6 have beenfound to give satisfactory operatiorr inaver'a-ge sizes of clamps.

The, spot welding of the housing I9 to the band I5 not only reduces the cost of the assembly but positively rigidly holds the housing.,l .9. in fixed position on one end of the band.

In the modified form of my invention shown in Figs. 9 to 14 inclusive, the general structure, of the housing I9 is similar to that of the hoes,- ing I9 heretofore described except for the forrh ing thereof.

In this instance the housing I9 consists. inits' initial form of a metal stamping of generally. cross-like shape as shown in Fig. 13, In this, form they opposite arms 33 containing the slots 22' are bent down and then the portions- 23'. are.

bent along the bend lines 34 inwardlyv toward each other under the central portion to form the, bottom ends of the housing or the housing base. portions 23. In such partially completed form, illustrated, in Fig. 15, the crimped end portion of the band may then be insertedinto'the housing, through the openings 22', and. spot welded to the portions 23, the oppositely disposed side members 35 remaining in unbent outwardly extended position to permit the insertion of one of the spotwelding electrodes intothe open sides of the housing and such side members. 35 are thereafter bent down to close and complete the housing. This forms, a complete enclosure-for the screw thread II, which may be desirable in some instances to protect it from dirt. The .side

members 35 are bent along the lines 36. appearing in--Fig. 13, to give these members the shapes i'n-- dicated in Fig. 15. In certain instances @150, the die-stamped housing may be preferable-to that of the drawn or cast housing.

Having; illustrated and described certain. pre-- ferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that I do not desire to limit myself. to the exact details shownin the drawings for it is obvious that various slight modifications, and,

tending through said opening and having an screw-threaded-portion in; the space within the housing'between'said endwalls and a plain shank portion, extending through said opening, the, end;

wall containing said opening being thinencu'gh;

to permit it'toi pass; between the-convolutions of the screw: thread during the rotary insertion: 0 t e ew-thr ded p rti n-pf- .said ti tsnine;; v

member through said opening into the housing,

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the shank of said band-tightening member has an enlargement at its outer end that engages with the outside face of said housing end wall containing the opening through which said member extends.

3. A clamp tightening device for use in a hose clamp of the flexible-band type, said device comprising a screw-supporting housing adapted to be fixed to one end of the band and a screw member rotatably supported on opposite end walls of the housing in position to engage the other end of the band; wherein said screw member has an integral threaded section and a shank section that has a peripheral shoulder spaced apart from the screw threads, and the housing has in one of its walls an opening which at the top portion there of is substantially semi-circular on a radius less than that of the outside diameter of the threads of the screw and which opening is progressively enlarged from the ends of said semi-circular portion toward the bottom, whereby the screw member may be screwed into the housing through said opening and said shoulder be engaged with the outer side of housing.

4. A tightening device for a hose clamp band comprising a unitary housing having a screw rotatably supported in opposite end Wall portions formed with integral base portions which are adapted to be secured to one end portion of said band, said housing having an arcuate top wall portion extending over said screw and formed integrally with said end wall portions and with a pair of relatively angularly disposed side wall portions which latter are provided with trapezoidal side openings aligned transversely to the axis of said screw, each of said side openings being defined by longitudinally spaced side edges converging outwardly toward and meeting an upper or outer longitudinally extending edge of the opening which is substantially parallel to the axis of said screw and disposed below the uppermost portion of the outer face of said arc-uate top wall portion, said end wall portions having inwardly relatively oppositely bent portions constituting said base portions and both of said base portions being bent on a common radius whose center is on an axis disposed transversely to the axis of the screw and the inner arcuate faces of said oppositely bent base portions defining the lower or inner edges of said side openings.

BENJAMIN A. TETZLAFF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,397,508 Gillet Nov. 22, 1921 1,440,270 Bertherman Dec. 26, 1922 1,734,356 Welch Nov. 5, 1929 1,849,948 Muchler Mar. 15, 1932 2,383,920 Seaholrn Aug. 28, 1945 2,397,484 Hedrick Apr. 2, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 447,963 Great Britain May 28, 1936 523,313 Great Britain July 11, 1940 

